The Final Dream
by Suomibrony
Summary: A pony has come to live in Ponyville. She is nothing but a normal unicorn. However, she herself knows the truth. As she interacts with other ponies, they begin to suspect she is not what she seems to be.
1. A New Pony is in Town

**(- - - - [The Final Dream] - - - -)**

A  
><em>My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic<em>  
>Fan Fic<br>by Suomibrony

**Chapter 1: A New Pony is in Town.**

* * *

><p>Another day in Ponyville was coming to an end. The blue sky turning orange, followed by darkness. Stars were littering the sky, the bright and white moon raised by Luna casting its pale rays over Ponyville. One by one, the lights shining trough the windows of Ponyville's numerous houses had dimmed, the sounds of the bustling town replaced by the nighttime fauna.<br>Ponyville had become quiet, ready to wake up in the morning for a new day.

However, not everypony was asleep; on one of the roads leading into Ponyville, a lone pony was slowly and silently heading to the town. The moon was graceful enough to illuminate the pony; a young light indigo unicorn mare with an orange mane and tail with a single copper brown highlight. She was carrying two beige saddlebags and on her flank was her cutie mark; an orange circle with single bolt of orange lightning vertically dividing it.

The mare was exhausted, struggling to stay upright, her green eyes scant open. At the very entrance to the town, she stopped and observed the sleeping town for a moment.  
>"At last, I'm in Ponyville. It took an entire day to get here." she wearily said to herself, then let out a sigh of relief.<p>

With the aid of her telekinesis, the pony pulled out small scroll from her saddlebag and rolled it open. It was a crude map of Ponyville and had a few lines of Equestrian writing scribbled on it. Thanks to the moonlight, she was barely able to read it. She silently looked at it for a few seconds, then raised her eyes to look at the town again.  
>"Okay, I guess it's past the town center and then..." she lethargically muttered, but with a yawn, she ceased talking.<p>

The pony placed the scroll back into her bag and began wandering again.  
><em>Silly to think out loud anyway.<em>

The town was unsurprisingly quiet. After all, it was past midnight; the light indigo pony was alone on the streets of Ponyville.  
>She came to a house, its windows just as dark as all the other houses in the town. For a moment, she only stared at the single windowed door, the nocturnal insects and a distant stream the only audible sounds. She approached the door carefully and raised her right forehoof to knock the door, but hesitated at the last moment, lowering her hoof back to the ground. In apparent indecision, she stared at the door for several seconds.<p>

The pony raised her hoof again, but this time tapped on the door lightly, once. Realizing that no pony could hear a such soft tap, she tapped twice and a bit harder.

There was no response from the house.

The pony lied down and stared at the doorstep, her head coming to a rest on the the soil.  
><em>Maybe I'd rather sleep here and now?<em>

She glanced at her right hoof for a few seconds, then produced a confident smile.

Rising back onto her hooves, she positioned herself to knock the door again, but this time pulled her hoof as far as she could and struck the door so hard it rattled on its hinges.  
>"Ow!" The pony winced, shaking her hoof in an attempt to lessen the pain.<p>

Not long after, her attention was drawn to a window lighting up on the floor above, followed by muffled steps emanating from the house. Soon, the window on the door also beamed light trough it.

The pony lowered her still tingling hoof to the ground gracefully.  
><em>Nothing but slight discomfort, it'll subside soon.<em>

The door opened inwardly rather unceremoniously. Before the mare was a bistre earth pony stallion, his coal mane untidy, his dark blue eyes bleary. For a moment he simply stared at the pony who had awoken him.

He yawned. She produced an awkward smile.

"Now, what in Celestia's name are you doing waking me up at this hour!" his deep baritone voice boomed.

The young mare's smile changed to a frown. "Oh, I-I am terribly sorry to wake you up, mister... uh, mister..." she stammered, then telekinetically pulled out the scroll she had previously inspected.

"Lease." the stallion said before the unicorn could open her scroll.

"Oh yes, Lease." She giggled awkwardly, then hastily crammed the scroll back in her bag.

"I am the new resid-" she attempted to talk, but was cut short as the earth pony opened his mouth again.

"Save it. Everything has been arranged. You know how to find your residence?"

"Uh, yes I-"

"Good," the earth pony again interrupted the young mare, then returned to his home and after a couple seconds came back with a small key between his teeth.  
>He promptly swung his head and let the key fly into the air. The young mare observed it soar and grabbed it with her telekinesis, suspending it above her own head. She smiled at the stallion, who returned it with a disdainful stare.<p>

"Very well done," he said sarcastically. "Now please let me sleep!" he snarled, then bucked the door shut.

The unicorn lost concentration; the key fell on her head and bounced onto the ground.

"Even had some stupid crate..." the earth pony's muted voice could be heard before trailing off.

The unicorn lowered her head to stare at the ground sadly and sighed, then telekinetically retrieved the key and stored it in her saddlebag.

* * *

><p>Following a few minutes of traversing trough the sleeping town, the pony was yet at another house, this one at the edge of town, a pair of large barn-like doors facing the grassy plains surrounding Ponyville. To the right of the doors was a normal wooden door, a large padlock being its only notable feature.<p>

The pony brought the key from her saddlebag to the padlock and unlocked it. She placed the key back in her saddlebag, pushed the door open and took a few steps into the house. It was dark inside, a few beams of moonlight slinking in trough the windows and the open door. Her eyes tried to make sense of the interior for a few seconds.  
>Figuring she had inadequate night vision, she opened her bag and produced a tube-shaped object.<br>With the object floating in front of her, she shook it and thus it began to glow in orange, dimly at first but growing in intensity until it was twice as bright as the moon's light.

The mare could now see what was inside. To the right of her were a set of brown wooden stairs up to a second floor, hugging the wall, a landing where the stairs changed direction along the house's walls. The walls were light green and the floor cyan, although the orange light from of the tube-light made it difficult to tell what the colors were precisely; she made estimations on the go. Under the upper part of the stairs was single brown door, left open, to what appeared to be a kitchen.

To the left was a large, wooden brown crate, tall enough to reach the roof and just as wide.

The unicorn stared at it for a second, then closed her eyes.  
><em>I sold everything, for this house, to get that crate here. Less than a week...<em>  
>She let out a long sigh and glanced at the crate once again, then turned around to focus her magic on the front door. It promptly closed.<p>

The unicorn made her way up the stairs to the second floor, which was encompassed almost entirely by a single, large room. The green-walled room was decorated quite sparsely: a short-legged light brown oak table and a number of pillows in bright colours placed around it, a vermilion carpet covering the majority of the floor, the cyan floor only visible at the perimeters of the room. A pair of doors were at either end of the room.  
>One was open and revealed a bedroom, the other one was closed.<br>_That must be where the bathroom is._

A wide and tall window on the broader wall allowed moonlight to enter the room.  
><em>This was a barn initially.<em>

Although her brief encounter with Lease had warded off her drowsiness temporarily, it was now coming back in full swing.  
>She entered the bedroom. The walls were not green here, but some other color but she was too tired to think about it anymore and only saw the bed.<br>A beautiful bed with soft colors, calling to her.  
>That was all she could think of before she discarded the saddlebags and decided that she must get under the soft blanket, onto the soft mattress and place her head on the soft pillows and enter the realm of slumber. The glowing tube she had carried fell to the floor and quickly dimmed.<br>There was nothing but darkness.

* * *

><p>"Well, what do you say?" a gleeful filly said.<p>

"My dear daughter, I am truly happy for you, and I can't think of any father who could be prouder in all of Equestria! It's an important moment in a pony's life to earn their cutie mark. You are unique, very unique indeed. I see a very promising future for you, one that we both will enjoy greatly!" a stallion's voice congratulated.

"Thank you, father!"

"Don't mention it honey!" her father said and let out a warm chuckle. "But please, be careful with what you have now."

"I **will** be careful!"

"Do not misunderstand me, my dear, I **know** you will be careful."

"Hey, can I try it now?" her daughter alluded to something she possessed.

"No dear, it's better it wait until tomorrow."

"But I want to do it _now_!"

"Sweetie, stop sulking and lets go inside," her father's calm voice commanded her daughter. "It's becoming dark and your bedtime is soon."

The filly sighed.  
>"Okay, father," she said dejectedly.<p>

* * *

><p>As her dream came to an end, she found herself in her bed, the morning sun tickling her face. She opened her eyes and saw that the room walls and bedsheets were mauve, the floor pink. Her pillows were light blue and at the opposite side of the bed was a tall wooden closet. On the right side of the bed was a nondescript nigthtstand. A single window on the left of her bed presented the sun greeting her with warm beams.<br>"Pretty nice," she said groggily at the sight.  
>"Could take that bath now. Nothing wakes me up like a warm bath," she mumbled. She came to think of the possibility that there was no bathtub in the bathroom. If it were even a bathroom.<br>"Nice going Amber, bring down your spirits as soon as you wake up," she moped and planted her head deep into her pillow.  
>"But if I'm convinced there isn't a bathtub," she spoke into her pillow. "Then I will be twice as pleased when there <em>is<em>!" she exclaimed as she lifted her head, her face displaying a wide smile.

Deciding not to linger, she rose from her bed and trotted to the door that, hopefully, concealed a bathroom.  
>"Alright, the moment of truth!"<p>

Still smiling, she now closed her eyes and pushed the door with her right forehoof.

It would not open.

She pushed harder.

Nothing.

Her smile faded and as she opened her eyes, she scrunched her eyebrows in mild frustration. Taking a few a steps back, she shut her eyes again, and her horn lit up. The door gained a shimmering aura of weak light and then the door swung open. O_utwards_.  
>"Figures."<p>

She took a few steps to stand in the doorway and opened her eyes.

Before her eyes was not a mere bathroom. It was more grand than she had imagined and she let her eyes wander the room in astonishment.

The floor and wall tiles were luminescent white, a rearing earth pony mosaic made out of blue sapphires embedded in the floor. The white porcelain tub was embellished with golden wings running along its sides. Shower curtains hung from the roof above the tub sparkled like they were made out of morning dew, casting a small rainbow onto the floor and walls. The showerhead glittered like a polished diamond and the air itself felt comfortably warm, the aroma reminding her of recent rain on a grassy field. At the right end of the room was a tall, gold-lined mirror and a violet sink next to it. Surprisingly, the sink looked very spartan compared to the rest of the room.

Her attention focused on the sink and she cocked an eyebrow.  
><em>Maybe it's a remnant from the old barn?<em> _But what barn does have a __**violet sink**__?_  
>"Perhaps Lease knows?" She blurted unintentionally, then shook her head to bring herself into reality.<p>

She finally took a few steps forward and pushed aside the curtains gracefully with her muzzle, wary of the possibility that they could disintegrate. They did not; although they were made out of a light and soft material, they were stronger than their appearance suggested. A pair of golden faucets were at one end of the tub. She placed herself in a sitting position in the tub and opened the faucets to let warm water pour into the tub. The water steadily rose until it was close to the brim. It was so pleasant in the warm water she could fall asleep again, if it were not for the fact that then her head would submerge and she would wake up coughing water. She shuddered briefly at the thought.

She pushed her head between the curtains and saw her reflection in the mirror.  
>A young light indigo unicorn mare with green eyes and a very messy orange mane stared back. The young mare retreated and looked at the water for a second, then plunged her head underwater, rising up after a few seconds with a blissful expression and her drenched mane over her eyes.<br>Then she heard three knocks from downstairs.

She parted her mane with her hoof, her face bearing surprise; she was not expecting anypony to visit her yet.

_Could be mister Lease? Perhaps he has come to say sorry? He was quite rude to me last night._ she pondered. Then her face contorted in terror.

"Oh no!" she screamed, "Lease's come to ask for the rent!" Her eyes darted back and forth as she observed the bathroom's lavish decorations. "Can I even afford this luxurious home! What if I can't! Will he throw me out! Will he take my possessions as payment! Did I even think trough this when I-**"** Her panic-induced rambling came to a halt by more, louder knocking.

"For crying out loud, I'm taking a bath!" she shouted, agitation having subdued her anxiety.

With several seconds of silence passing, the unicorn thought whoever it was got the message. Now she could continue to enjoy the warm bath. She rolled onto her side and let herself slip deeper into the water. A smile crept up on her face again.  
>Relaxation, at last.<p>

She was rudely brought out of her peace by a knocking sound coming from downstairs. Again.  
>"So be it!" she snarled and lifted herself from the bathtub. She telekinetically grabbed a towel from nearby and did her best to dry herself in the quickest manner possible.<br>Her efforts were interrupted by more and louder knocking, almost a thumping now. She growled and dropped the towel, forgoing drying her mane for now.

As she trotted down the stairs she pushed the negative thoughts to the back of her head and put on a neutral expression.  
><em>I will politely tell Lease that I am taking a bath and he should come back later.<br>_She cleared her throat and opened the door telekinetically.

"Good morni- The hay!"

She stared wide-eyed as before her was a tall and armless, brown-bodied creature with a grey, metallic head.

"It is not hay; it is a huge hammer!" a cheery, high-pitched young mare's voice emanated from behind the brown being. A pair of pink forelegs were wrapped around its body.

The light indigo mare took a peek around the oversized tool to see a pink earth pony smiling at her.

The unicorn raised an eyebrow.  
>"What do you need a huge hammer for?" she said as she pointed a hoof at the hammer.<p>

"To knock your door, silly!" the pink pony stated.

"That makes perfect sense," the unicorn quipped.

"Yes it does!" the pink pony replied, oblivious of the unicorn's sarcasm, then tossed the hammer to the side; it crashed into something frail and ceramic.

The pink pony's words echoed in the light indigo pony's head. _To knock your door. To knock your door. To knock your door._ She was not sure if the pink mare would have _actually_ knocked _down_ her house door, but the negative emotions still in the back of her head said yes.  
>Suddenly she saw mostly pink in her eyes. And two eyes.<p>

"Are you okay new pony?" the pink pony said worriedly. "You look like you ate too many lemon-peach muffins."  
>She then started to bounce around merrily in circles.<br>"To tell you the truth I enjoy lemon-peach muffins they are sour and sweet and tasty sometimes they taste only sour and if I eat too many I feel sour in the belly and that makes me feel sour in the face lemon-peach cakes are good and I like good things do you like good things I know many ponies who like good things like my parties and you are invited to my surprise party in your honor new pony in Ponyville!"

The pink pony had said all that in a few seconds. How she managed to talk so fast, let alone without taking a breath, was lost to the unicorn. She was stunned, her mind trying to sort the flood of info it had picked up into a coherent message.

"Did you not hear?" the pink pony inquired.

"Uh, hear what?" she absentmindedly said, then shook her head briskly.

"I am holding a surprise party for you!" the pink pony announced and bounded into the air, her forelegs twirling in air briefly before she was brought back to the solid ground.

"A surprise party? Cool!" She said with a smile, but it was only temporary as she did a double take at what she heard. "Hold on, did you say: a _surprise party_ for _me_?" the unicorn said, pointing a hoof at herself.

"Sssshh. It is a surprise," the pink pony hushed, then eyed her surroundings, trying to spot possible eavesdroppers.

"But... how can a surpri-" the unicorn attempted to ask, but was silenced by a louder hush. She sighed.  
>"How can a surprise party for me be a surprise when I already know about it?" she whispered.<p>

This revelation made the pink pony blink, as if told that a smooth sphere has jagged corners.  
>"Who told you it was a surprise party?" she said in disbelief.<p>

"It was a pink pony who, by some strange cosmic coincidence, is you." the unicorn said and aimed her hoof at the earth pony, who lost her cheerful attitude.

"Me!"

The unicorn smirked.  
>"Yes. You."<p>

"Don't be silly, I don't spoil surprises!" she said, her joy back in full swing.

The unicorn's smirk vanished and she gained a look of mild frustration.  
>"But you just did!"<p>

"Nuh-uh!" the pink mare objected in a most concise manner.

"Yeah-uh!" the unicorn retorted in kind.

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yeah-uh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yeah-uh."

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yeah-uh..."

"Nuh-uh!"

"This is going nowhere." the unicorn lamented in defeat.

"This is going yeswhere!" the pink pony cheered in merriment.

The unicorn rolled her eyes and, growing tired of the pony's antics, cut to the chase.  
>"When's the party?"<p>

"Soon!" said the pink pony. "Hey, let me show where it is!" She then started bouncing down the street in elation.

"Now?"

"Of course!" the pink pony gave her a reply, distancing herself from the unicorn with every bound.

The unicorn hesitated for a few seconds before reluctantly leaving her home and she began to follow the pink pony. She was certain that once she knew where the party was, she could return to her house and tidy herself before it would begin.

* * *

><p>Her mane was still soaked, some of the water now running down her coat and forelegs. With every passing second, she felt more and more humiliated and started to regret her decision to follow the pink pony. But there was no point in returning now. To wherever this pony was leading her to, she hoped there was a towel she could borrow for a minute.<p>

"Hey!" she heard the pink pony say in her seemingly constant upbeat voice. "My name's Pinkie Pie! What's yours?"

"Okay, Pinkie Pie..." the unicorn said, her thoughts lingering on the pony's name for a moment. "I am Amberglow."

Pinkie Pie giggled. "That is a glowwy name!"

Amberglow groaned at the weak pun.

The pink pony stopped at the door of a tall house; Amberglow gave it a cursory look, noting that it looked more like a cake than a house.  
>"This is Sugarcube Corner and it's here where the party will be!" she shouted exuberantly.<p>

Not wanting to stay outside in public a second longer, Amberglow deliberately ignored the pony and opened the door. All she cared for at the moment was to fetch a towel to dry her mane with.

"SURPRISE!" a wall of voices blew past her and into her ears.

Streamers, confetti and balloons poured out, some of the colorful paper decorations adhering to Amberglow's mane.  
>Amberglow's face displayed horror, but before she could react, the pink pony pushed her inside and to the center of the room.<p>

"Everypony, please welcome Amberglow!" the pink mare declared to the gathering of ponies.

"Welcome to Ponyville, Amberglow!" dozens of voices celebrated in unison.

Amberglow's ears dropped. She stood silent, panic in her eyes, her mane still drenched and bright colored streamers jutting out like strands of hair.  
>Everypony's attention was focused on her.<br>She wanted to gallop out the door, but her muscles refused to listen to her brain. Maybe if she stood still and pretended not to be seen, she could disappear into thin air. Despite her strongest wishes, that came to no fruition.

The pink pony came face to face with Amberglow.  
>"I told you it was a surprise party!" she cheerily said, unaware of Amberglow's predicament.<p>

Amberglow only let out a whimper.

"Enjoy the party!" Pinkie Pie wished her before she zipped into the crowd.


	2. Party Time

**(- - - - [The Final Dream] - - - -)**

A  
><em>My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic<em>  
>Fan Fic<br>by Suomibrony

**Chapter 2: Party time.**

* * *

><p>Amberglow was surrounded. They could have been nasty monsters to her, but to everypony else they were just normal ponies. They were happy and chatting; she was not, and she could not tell what they were talking about, but she was certain she was the topic.<br>As she remained still and silent, the chatter around her dwindled. The ponies must've realised that something was not quite right. Soon there was an eerie silence in the room. If she was not at the focus of their attention before, now she certainly was. To confirm this, she looked at as many of them as she could without turning her head, and sure enough, their eyes were set on her.  
>Her heart was beating fiercely and she had trouble breathing.<br>She glanced at the floor, then gently swung her right foreleg off the floor for a second.  
>"<em>Maybe they will get the hint?"<em> she hoped.

"Is something wrong?" a concerned mare's voice came from the crowd. It was not Pinkie's voice.

Amberglow tried to talk, but only produced an imperceptible squeak.

A purple unicorn approached her from the crowd. Her mane was indigo, a bright pink stripe prominent on it.

Amberglow looked at the unicorn pleadingly. She was at the breaking point and her the muscles in her legs began to weaken, the panic that was paralysing her would soon crush her completely.  
>Something bad would happen if that would occur. She could feel it. That familiar tingling all over her body.<br>"_No! Please, don't let it happen now!" _her mind screamed.

The purple unicorn noticed that the light indigo unicorn was trembling, eyes were dilated and she displayed symptoms of dyspnea.  
>Signs of a panic attack.<p>

The purple indigo now stood next to Amberglow.  
>"Is it agoraphobia?" she said softly, expressing grave concern but also compassion.<br>She did not expect to get an answer, but to show her empathy could ease her anxiety.

Amberglow was doing everything in her power to control her apprehension. The tingling was becoming stronger for every second that passed. Now with a pony beside her, she sensed her anxiety loosen its grip, but only slightly. She had to tell her, confirm her assumption. Now, or never.

"So many..." she whispered.  
>"...watching me..."<p>

The purple unicorn gave her a warm smile.

Amberglow remained silent. She had overcome a threshold. Now she had to keep herself from slipping back. She began to concentrate on normalising her breathing. She had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

The purple unicorn looked at the ponies in the room. Most of them stared perplexed, not quite aware how serious Amberglow's condition was. No pony was but Amberglow herself. For a moment the purple unicorn was not sure what to tell them. Being blunt could make the situation worse. She had to delicately defuse it somehow, but she was becoming nervous now as well. No, she had, she _must_ to face the crowd bravely and speak her mind. A delay could worsen Amberglow's distress. A gamble is better than inaction.  
>She got up on her hooves and cleared her throat.<br>"Everypony listen!" she addressed the party guests. "Our guest of honor is not accustomed to the attention you show her. I know you do it out of kindness and mean no harm to her, but please do realize that she is stressed and desires a moment in solitude to calm herself. When and if she can, she will join the party. Thank you."  
>She was certain her impromptu speech was articulated poorly, but what had been said had been said.<p>

The ponies glanced at each other and murmured for a while, until they gave the pair a smile and nodded.  
>The purple unicorn returned their smile.<br>"Let' me show you to a quieter place." she whispered to Amberglow as the party came back to life.

* * *

><p>They both entered to what appeared to be a vacant and small living room. The purple pony stood in the doorway as Amberglow walked in. She promptly sat down on the floor at the far end of the room and faced a wall.<p>

"I can close the door, to allow yourself to gather your composure," the purple unicorn told her. "When you are feeling better, you can come and join the party if you wish. I will occasionally come and check on how you are doing though, if you decide to remain in here."

The light indigo pony gave her no reply.

"My name is Twilight Sparkle, by the way."

"Okay..." The indigo unicorn acknowledged quietly.

Twilight knew Amberglow was very upset, and she did not want to leave her sorting herself alone.  
>"I know you suffered a panic attack." she stated. "It will take a while before it subsides. One way to hasten that process is to talk about it. When you were able to talk to me, although very little, you were actively recovering from it just by gathering the courage to speak, and you even got here despite your apparent paralysis," she said informatively but with a compassionate tone.<br>"With that said, I am prepared to listen and provide support for you."

No response.

Twilight felt uneasy. Did she do or say something inappropriate? Did she come off as unsympathetic?  
>"I can even bring you cake and soda!" she tried to lighten the mood and smiled, hiding her own anxiety.<p>

There was another moment of relative silence.

Twilight's smile vanished as her worry escalated.  
>"I have read psychology! I can help!" She almost yelled in despair.<p>

She had read books of course, but was aware she was not a qualified psychologist. This was her last attempt to reach out to Amberglow.  
>With her remaining unresponsive, Twilight felt disappointed in herself and, not wanting to push the unicorn, she turned to leave the room.<br>"I'll let you be in peace." she said dispiritedly.

"Don't go," Aberglow said weakly.

Twilight perked up and turned her head at Amberglow.

Amberglow was still facing the wall. She slowly got on her hooves and turned around. She had a weak smile on her face.

"I know you tried to cheer me up, and I am very thankful for that, but I was too gloomy to say anything. When you became distraught yourself, I had to speak up, or else the tables would have turned."

Twilight giggled, not only because she had succeeded, but also because she was amused by Amberglow's display of humor.  
>"I am glad you are feeling better" she said.<p>

"But in all seriousness" Amberglow said and her smile dissipated.  
>She dropped her eyes, not wanting to retain eye contact with Twilight.<br>"It was terrible. That panic trying to take control of my mind and body, a very horrible feeling... I do not know what would have happened if I had remained there for even a minute longer."  
>She felt chills go down her spine; she knew very well what would have happened. If it had, she would not be talking with Twilight. Or anypony else who were in the room. She did not want to think of the possible outcome and drew her attention back to Twilight and hid her fear behind a smile.<br>"You are a brave pony, Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight blushed.

"I can not express how grateful I am," Amberglow continued. "Your honest effort to make me feel better, it's something I have not experienced since..."  
>She tried to think of a smilar situation, but could not recall any. It was hard for her to keep her smile and allowed it to fade again.<p>

"If it had not been me, it would have been somepony else, no doubt." Twilight downplayed her 'heroism'. Twilight was modest, but she could not dismiss her pride entirely. She barely knew this unicorn and already she had helped her in a tough situation and had improved her mood.  
>But she sensed something, albeit very vague. She could not place her hoof on it, but she could sense <em>something, <em>as if the light indigo pony had an invisible aura that interacted with her own body.

Amberglow was staring at Twilight.  
>"Hey, Twilight." Amberglow asked, breaking Twilight's train of thought. "I can call you Twilight right?"<p>

"Sure!" she responded with a smile. "Some even call me Twi for short!"

"Twi..." mused the indigo unicorn. "I know this is unusual, and I do not wish to in any way force you to, but..."  
>She ceased her eye contact with Twilight.<p>

Twilight waited patiently; she did not want to upset Amberglow in case she had not yet overcome her apprehension.

"Can you...I mean, um, can we...if you... do not have anything against it?" Amberglow quietly stuttered.

"Yes, Amberglow?" Twilight asked, finally recalling her name, but was now reminded of a pegasus she knew as well.

Amberglow returned her eyes to look at Twilight again.  
>"I, um, can...we... uh...be... friends?" she whispered.<br>She had the look on her face that spelled 'this will not work'.

Twilight was stunned for a second.  
>"Oh... sure, we can be friends." she said, hiding her nervousness under a smile. She had her doubts about the request, but did not have the heart to say no to Amberglow.<br>But she had still a lot of learn about friendship. Maybe this would be another lesson on that subject; two socially awkward individuals learning from each other.  
>Suddenly she found herself being embraced by the light indigo unicorn, who now had the happiest grin she could produce.<p>

"THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!" she gleefully expressed her gratidude. Then as she saw that Twilight did not share the same heightened enthusiasm, she let go and took a few steps back.  
>She coughed lightly, cheeks reddening.<br>"Um, I guess I got a bit carred away."

There was a moment of tense silence.

Amberglow looked at Twilight, who had a slightly discontent expression.  
>"Twilight Sparkle, I am sorry for acting like an energetic crazypony." she apologised.<p>

"No need to," Twilight said and produced a faint smile.  
>"Just like the party guests; you meant well."<p>

"If you think I am a weird scarypony, you don't have to be my friend." Amberglow said sadly.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Twilight replied softly. "But what you can do to yourself is remove those silly streamers from your mane."

Amberglow blinked. She had completely forgotten her ridiculous appearance. Her mane had dried, but dozens of single and multicolored streamers were intertwined in it.  
>"That must have been why everypony was staring at me." Amberglow said, then smiled sheepishly and began to carefully remove the streamers from her mane with telekinesis.<p>

Twilight left the room and soon came back  
>"Pinkie said it was okay to use her comb and mirror" she stated as she levitated a pink comb and mirror to Amberglow, who then took it with her own telekinesis, nodding a thanks.<br>Not long after, Amberglow's mane was presentable.

"Wow! Your mane resembles my own." Twilight said in astonishment.

"Huh? No, not really." Amberglow peered into the mirror, then at Twilight.  
>"First off, my mane is not indigo-"<p>

"It is indigo?" Twilight interjected, not insulted, but surprised. "I thought it was dark blue." she said and turned her eyes upwards trying to see her own mane.

"Is it?" Amberglow asked, expecting a 'yes'.

"You tell me." said Twilight, probably expecting a 'no'.

"OOOH! You almost look like Twilight!" a familiar pink pony leaned from _above_ the doorway, somehow adhering to the doorframe. She swung herself into the room and landed upright on her hooves.

Amberglow was baffled; Twilight was nonplussed.

The pony bounced up to Twilight.  
>"But unlike Twilight's..."<p>

She leaned at Amberglow.  
>"Your mane is..."<p>

She faced to glare at a wall threateningly.  
>"<strong>Amber!<strong>"

Pinkie Pie then left the room, joyfully humming a tune to herself.

"Ooh-kay..." Amberglow nodded slowly, puzzled at the pony's strange behavior, then gave Twilight quizzical glance.

Twilight shook her head and sighed.  
>"Pinkie being Pinkie."<p>

Suddenly a crash came from the main room, followed by a loud "Consarn it, Dash!" by a very indignant mare.

Twilight left the room in a hurry, but Amberglow hesitated for a few seconds before doing likewise.

* * *

><p>Upon exiting the room, Amberglow was greeted by the sight of a rainbow-maned cyan pegasus mare, hovering in the air above a blonde-maned, stetson-wearing, orange earth pony on her back on the floor. The earth pony was covered in what appeared to be the remains of a cake. Both were staring at each other, scowling.<br>Next to the orange pony was an overturned plate, cake spilling from underneath.

"Now why in tarnation did ya do that _indoors!_" the peeved orange pony yelled.

"I said I could do a Dash Spin Turn ten times in a row and I just proved it!" the pegasus retorted and smiled self-confidently.

"Ah thought ya'd have the _common sense_ not to do it _here and_ _now!_" the orange pony snarled and got back onto her hooves.

The pegasus frowned and moved a slight closer to Applejack.  
>"You mean, I'd have go <em>outside<em> and _wait_ for everypony to _slowly _gather before doing my trick?" argued the pegasus.  
>"My audience was here already. It's little cramped in here, yeah, but I pulled it off! A welcome challenge too!"<p>

"Ya need to learn a new word, Dash, so please listen quietly as ah _spell_ it for ya." the earth pony told the pegasus, then closed her eyes as it was now her turn to look proud.

"Oh gosh..." the pegasus said and put her forehooves up to her mouth to hide her grin.

"P-E-S-U-N-S." the orange pony confidently pronounced each letter of the word 'patience'.

The pegasus could not hide her mirth any longer and fell to the floor.

The earth pony opened her eyes wide.

"Maybe you should ask Cheerilee to spell that for you first?" the pegasus said between bursts of laughter. "Or _Applebloom!_"  
>Rainbow Dash was rolling on the floor, laughing uncontrollably, tears gushing out of her eyes.<p>

The earth pony was not amused.  
>"Pardon," the caked pony said "Ah have crucial matters to git to!"<br>She left the pegasus in a huff.

"Rainbow Dash, what was that about? The cake on Applejack? The stunt you did?"  
>Twilight asked, her tone a combination of concern, confusion and irritation.<p>

Rainbow Dash took a few seconds to collect herself and wiped the tears out of her eyes.  
>She resumed her hovering and coughed a few times before talking.<p>

"I was telling AJ about this incredible new move that I have practiced on: the Dash Spin Turn!"  
>She did a different pose for each of the last three words, mimicking the actions by first floating horizontally in the air, then doing a instant forward spin and facing the opposite direction.<br>"AJ said I could not do it ten times in a row. But I did!" she congratulated herself, then struck boastful pose by crossing her forelegs across her chest.

Amberglow observed the pegasus with awe.

"Of course, it requires that I actually _fly_ for it to look cool," the pegasus hinted.

The non-flying ponies blinked.

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow.  
>"Don't play that game with me, Twilight. What does my cool trick need to look impressive?"<p>

"It needs cake on the floor?" Twilight alluded sarcastically.

Rainbow Dash laughed nervously.  
>"Just a minor mishap."<p>

"Dash..." Twilight said and glared at Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash huffed.  
>"Fine, so I did not do a precise 180 degree turn after the 7th spin and struck the cake," she confessed, but began to snicker.<br>"It just so _very accidentally_ landed in AJ's face."

Twilight was not humored.

"Oh come on Twi!" Rainbow Dash said and kept her smirk on "It was hilarious!"

Pinkie abruptly arrived to the scene.  
>"Hey, I hope you a-" she said before gasping at something.<br>"Oh no!"

She approached the smashed dessert and overturned the plate to reveal a very miserable-looking cake. Upon seeing the mess, her expression became very serious.  
>"Cake, what is going? Answer me cake! Cake! <strong>CAAAAAAKE!<strong>"

Twilight, Amberglow and Rainbow Dash stared in disbelief.

Then there was the sound of eating.  
>"Yummies! This is cake is cake-licious!" she exclaimed, whipped cream all over her happy face.<p>

"Pinkie being Pinkie." Twilight said and rolled her eyes.

"Like you didn't know it." Rainbow Dash said with a deadpan tone.  
>Rainbow Dash glanced at the newcomer.<br>"Hey, you look similar to Twilight! Well, kinda, almost, maybe, if the colors were same-"

Both Twilight and Amberglow stared sternly at her.

"Heh heh, only kidding." she said and presented an awkward smile.

Twilight left without saying a word, apparently offended by Rainbow Dash's comment.

"I heard your name. Rainbow Dash, correct?" Amberglow said, still keeping her stare on the pegasus.

"Yep, that is me! Fastest flier in Equestria," Rainbow Dash resumed her boastful attitude.  
>"Ponyville's number one weather patrol mare and only pegasus to perform the sonic rainboom. Twice!" She bragged and landed next to Amberglow, smiling confidently.<p>

"Only pegasus to perform the sonic rainboom?" Amberglow echoed her words. "Have unicorns or earth ponies done that too?" she jeered.

Rainbow Dash scrunched her eyebrows but retained her smile.  
>"Ha-ha, you are kinda funny." she said, her tone sarcastic. "Like a <em>unicorn <em>could _fly?_"

Amberglow leaned forward, her expression almost menacing, to Rainbow Dash's surprise.  
>"Hey, maybe I <em>can<em> fly? Think about that for a moment."

Rainbow Dash was stupefied. She was face to face with a unicorn who had the most unusual glare in her eyes she had ever seen. As if _she really believed she was able to fly._  
>Her glare began to unsettle Rainbow Dash. She was not just delusional, she was crazy. Not Pinkie Pie crazy, but <em>crazy<em> crazy. She felt a bead of sweat roll somewhere under her mane.  
>"Want to see me practice my flying skills?" Rainbow Dash changed the topic awkwardly.<p>

Amberglow dropped her mad expression in an instant.  
>"Now?"<p>

Rainbow Dash was about to say yes almost instinctively, as she enjoyed having an audience admiring her perform stunts. But now, this pony, something was not right with her.  
>She pondered for a moment. No audience, or an audience of one weird pony?<br>"Uhh, how about tomorrow afternoon?" Rainbow Dash said and produced a fake smile.

Amberglow smiled joyfully.  
>"I will try to make it! Where will you practice?"<br>There was almost a childlike glee in her voice.

Rainbow Dash found her change in behaviour creepy, but kept a straight face.  
>"At my home," she said. "Just look for an awesome cloud castle at the edge of Ponyville. You can not miss it!"<p>

Rainbow Dash was thrilled that the new pony was eager to see her practice, although the pony certainly was weird, a chance to show off was more than a reason overlook that detail. Despite having an audience of one pony, even the most mundane tricks could impress the newcomer. Besides, what could a loopy pony do to her when she could escape from her at high speed?  
>Unless she had the same mysterious talents that Pinkie Pie had. She wished hard that was not the case.<p>

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself; I am Amberglow." she told Rainbow Dash.

"And I am still Rainbow Dash." the pegasus replied.

"Do I smell fresh muffins!" a voice came from somewhere behind Rainbow Dash.

"Gottago!" Rainbow Dash hastily uttered, backflipped in the air and literally _flew_upside down, leaving Amberglow again to stare in awe.

* * *

><p>"Twi, did ya dye yer mane?" came a very distinguishable voice from behind Amberglow.<p>

"Uhh..." Amberglow turned to face the orange pony. "Twi's over there." she pointed a hoof at a table where the purple pony was pouring herself a drink.

"Sorry, thought ya were Twi for a sec." Applejack grinned in embarrassment.  
>Her coat was clean of cake, her mane slightly damp; she had obviously washed herself recently.<p>

"I'll have to get used to this, don't I? Ponies thinking I am Twilight, I mean." Amberlgow asked Applejack

"Don't dwell on it." Applejack chuckled. "Though ya do look like her jus' a little from this side too."  
>Applejack immediately realised what she said.<p>

"I _do_?" said a mildly irritated Amberglow. "How _little_?"

Applejack knew that if she now opened her mouth, she'd dig herself only deeper. She only stared back with wide eyes, biting her tongue.

Amberglow glared for a second, but then relaxed.  
>"Never mind," Amberglow said and sighed. "As you said: I should not dwell on it."<p>

Applejack let out a tense but relieved chuckle.  
>"Name's Applejack. Pleased to meet ya!"<p>

Amberglow decided to let the past be and presented a smile as well.  
>"I am Amb-"<br>The light indigo mare felt her right hoof being grabbed by two hooves, followed by vigorous shaking.

"Always nice to meet new folks, and ah welcome ya on behalf of the Apple Clan to Ponyville! I wish ya the best of luck in yer stay here!"  
>Applejack then let go of Amberglow's hoof. She lowered it onto the floor, but her muscles gave in and her eyes flashed in shock as she slumped slightly before quickly correcting her posture.<br>"Sorry about that, sugarcube," she said and let out a chortle. "It's an Apple clan tradition to welcome folks with a good hoof shakin'!"

"No need to apologize." Amberglow shyly replied, bending her right foreleg a couple times to rouse her muscles. "I am Amberglow."

Rainbow Dash, balancing a plate with three muffins on her hooves, floated next to Applejack.  
>Suddenly the orange pony seized one of the muffins with her mouth and began devouring it.<p>

"Hey!" the pegasus cried displeased.

"Pfaywbfahk fwohr dhe chafk." was the almost indecipherable reply.

The pegasus glared at the pony, but she returned it with a smirk.  
>"Okay buddy," Rainbow Dash said and glanced at the plate in slight irritation. "I did not even want it! I can not fly well if I have eaten too many muffins anyway."<p>

"Huh, buddy?" Amberlgow expressed her surpise. "Are you two friends?"

The pegasus and orange pony stared at the unicorn wide-eyed for a second, then at each other, then back again. They both erupted in laughter.

Amberglow backed away slightly.

"Ya bet!" Applejack said.

"We are _best_ friends!" Rainbow Dash added.

"But, the argument you had?" Amberglow said, worry plastered on her face.

"Sure," Rainbow Dash said. "Me and AJ scuffle sometimes. One second we are locked in an intense battle, the next we are talking and laughing as if nothing ever happened."

"That's right, Dash!"  
>Applejack half-heartedly growled at Rainbow Dash, who replied in kind, then they both chuckled.<p>

"Best friends..."  
>Amberglow was not yet convinced.<p>

"Look, a good frien' sticks by ya, even if you and her do not see eye ta eye on everythin' all the time." Applejack assured Amberglow and winked at Rainbow Dash.

"Yeah! Anypony can be friendly to you," said Rainbow Dash.  
>"Be like best buds. But dare to disagree and they ditch you. That's not a true friend! That's..." Rainbow Dash tapped her chin for a second.<br>"I don't know what that is! A great friend does not leave you because you say or do something that they don't like. Well, maybe if you really annoy them by doing it all the time. What kind of a friend would do that anyway? I mean, I knew this griffon. Long time friend. Was always cool, we had a lot of fun. So, one day she came to visit me here in Ponyville. We had some fun again. I thought she was a friend, but turns out she was only being friendly when she had to. When Pinkie Pie threw a party-"

"Dash," Applejack said and yawned. "Ah think she gets yer point."

"I thought you were an _acta non verba _pegasus?" Amberglow shared the earth pony's sentiments.

"Acta-what?" Rainbow Dash blurted, but quickly put on a confident face."Oh yeah, I know! I am a very actanowerbian pegasus!" she said, her proudness poorly hiding her ignorance.

Amberglow chuckled silently at the pegasus, only showing a seemingly innocent smile.

Twilight came back to the three ponies.  
>"I see you have become acquainted with two of my friends." she said with joy.<p>

"Oh yes, I have!" Amberglow cheered. "Rainbow Dash has even invited to show me her flying skills tomorrow!" For a brief moment, she was bouncing on all fours like Pinkie Pie.

Rainbow Dash grinned, not only out of anticipation, but to conceal her unease from the suddenly vivacious unicorn.

"Any friend of mine is your friend as well!" The purple unicorn happily declared.

While Applejack merely smiled and nodded, Rainbow Dash wanted to scream a 'no', her grin now conflicting with her eyes.

"That's is nice to hear, you are quite generous to share your friends with me." Amberglow replied and displayed a gleeful smile.

"It is Rarity who is generous, but I will gladly stand in for her for the time being in that regard." Twilight said.

"Who is Rarity? A friend of yours too?" Amberglow asked curiously.

"Rarity is the town's fashion designer and runs her own high-class clothes store, the Carousel Boutique," Twilight stated matter-of-factly. "And yes, she is my friend as well."

Amberglow's eyes widened in astonishment.  
>"Is she here?" she asked eagerly.<p>

"Alas, no, she is busy designing dresses today and can not afford the time to attend this party." Twilight replied.

"Aww," Amberglow groaned in disappointment.

Pinkie Pie abruptly appeared between the four, then pointed her hoof at a cake on a table.  
>"We must deliver THAT cake for her!" she shouted, "Pinkie Pie Super Duper Cake Delivery, commence now!"<br>She swiftly jumped onto the table, slapped her forehooves on the edge of plate the cake was on. The cake did a few flips in the air, landed on her back and without delay she ran out the door, not spilling even the tiniest crumb on her way, leaving a pink trail behind her.

The ponies were again baffled at what had transpired.

"That is her talent, is it not?" Amberglow asked nopony in particular.

"You could say that." Rainbow Dash responded.

Applejack then spotted Amberglow's unusual cutie mark; the orange circle with a vertical bolt splitting it.  
>"Might ah ask, Amberglow, what is your talent?"<p>

Amberglow gulped. She had hoped nopony would ask her. In fact, she was so sure it would not be brought up that she was completely unprepared to give an answer. She could not tell the truth. Not today, maybe not ever.  
>"<em>Something plausible and quickly!"<em> she frantically interrogated her own mind. Sensing that remaining quiet for too long would arouse suspicion, she opened her mouth to talk.  
>"I, uh... my talent? I am..." She stuttered as she desperately tried to keep a straight face on, still trying to forge an answer. "A quick galloper!" she said with a faked grin and fought viciously not to sweat.<br>"_What kind of horse hockey was that!" _Her panicked mind shouted at herself. She was not an athlete. Not by a long shot. This would bite back at her, unless nopony asked about it while she was still in Ponyville.

"Mighty strange, ya do not quite look like the type." Applejack said, peering at Amberglow, directly into her mind, she felt.

"Looks can be deceiving." Amberglow said and did her best to retain her expression.  
>"Hey, how about you, what about your cutie mark?" she quickly deflected the topic at Applejack herself.<p>

"Oh, now that's a long story. ah'd only bore ya to sleep." Applejack tried to dissuade the unicorn.

"You will bore _me_ to sleep regardless." Rainbow Dash jeered.

"Is that why ah find ya sleepin' in mah apple trees?" Applejack retorted.

Rainbow Dash tried to dig her mind for a comeback, but came with nothing.

"No comment." Twilight said and backed away.

"Please do tell me Applejack. I am very patient!" Amberglow insisisted.

"I must stay awake bye!" Rainbow Dash said and left the two alone.

Applejack gave in and narrated about her cutie mark, life, family, about her farm, friends, her adventures and Ponyville.  
>Amberglow told Applejack some of her own life. What little she dared to tell.<p>

* * *

><p>Celestia was retiring the sun; a day nearing its end again. The blue sky was progressing towards the red spectrum.<br>An orange earth pony and a light indigo unicorn were trotting side by side on one of the numerous streets of Ponyville.  
>They came to the barn-like house; Amberglow's new residence. She opened the door and stepped inside. The earth pony remained outside.<p>

"Well, t'was nice meetin' ya AG, but ah must return to takin' care of mah apples in the mornin' and ah need some good sleep for that." Applejack said.

Amberglow turned to face the earth pony.  
>"It was nice meeting you too, AJ!" Amberglow replied back in admiration.<br>"I thoroughly enjoyed listening to you and your tales, even showing me your farm. Such a wonderful life you have. I have to admit, I envy you!"

Applejack chuckled.  
>"Ah'm sure ya wouldn't say so if ya'd have to work mah orchards for one day, but t'was nice ya took the time to listen' me ramble."<p>

"Better to hear you ramble than..." said Amberglow and looked downhearted. "My life's not much to brag about."

"AG, that's water under the bridge," Applejack comforted Amberglow. "Once ya settle to livin' here in Ponyville, ah'm sure ya'll perk up."

"Well..." said Amberglow and produced a weak smile, "You are right. I will be fine."

"Good to hear!" Applejack said, "Ah 'spose we talk some day soon? Take care now, ya hear!"

Amberglow nodded.  
>"I will. Goodnight AJ!"<p>

As Applejack began trotting back towards her farm, she could not help but think that Amberglow was not being honest with her.  
>"<em>AG's plenty nice, faced some tough times sure, but that cutie mark story, that ah don't buy. Why'd she lie 'bout her cutie mark? Somethin' aint right about that gal."<em>

As the earth pony trotted from her home, Amberglow's smile vanished. She closed the door behind her and stared gloomily at the huge crate, the setting sun casting few rays of faint light into the room trough the kitchen windows.  
>"<em>That pony, Applejack, she does not believe me. It was foolish to think I could do this without raising suspicion. I fear she will pry the truth out of me. It could turn her against me; it could turn everypony against me. That is not what I want. I do not want to leave Ponyville as a foe, but as a friend.<br>I can only remain here for a few days. I at least want to spend those days without worry and fulfill my dreams."_

As she stared a the crate, she brightened a little, but only so much that she had a neutral expression.  
>"<em>I should not delay this."<em>

She galloped upstairs and returned with the the glow-tube in her mouth. She dropped it onto the floor and used her telekinesis to bring it to life. Soon the room bathed in orange. Amberglow faced the crate and concentrated.  
>Picking up objects and opening doors with telekinesis was no feat, but now she was doing something more intensive.<br>A board, one of the many that the crate composed of, gained a shimmering aura and began to bend. The nails were pulled out, then the piece of wood itself came loose with a crack. Amberglow dropped the board on the floor and heaved a sigh of exertion. She then concentrated again, and a moment later, another board had been removed.

An hour later, she was exhausted. None of her muscles ached, but she felt like she had galloped for hours. Along the wall nearby was a pile of boards, stacked neatly. She glanced at them, then at what was in the crate.  
>"<em>Still more to do."<em>  
>Her horn lit again and one of the boards was pulled from the stack.<p>

* * *

><p>Two hours later, Amberglow was in the bathroom, soaked in sweat. The glow-tube was with her, illuminating the bathroom. The water from her morning bath drained, she climbed into the tub slowly, weary from the work she had done. This time she let the water come from the showerhead.<br>As the sweat was washed away, she sighed. Relaxation. A few minutes later, she was heading for her bed, carrying the glow-tube with telekinesis. It was past midnight.

As she placed herself into the bed, she brought the tube up to her face and inspected it thoughtfully as it began to dim. It was a mostly featureless, unpainted metallic tube, a securely closed lid at one end its only peculiarity.

"_Father, why did you never come forth with what you knew, even on our last day together? You could have told me why you tried to do what you did. I had to find out by myself and what I now know about me, it scares me."_

She gingerly levitated the object onto the nightstand.

"_Maybe you had the right idea after all?"_


End file.
